Manager Burley has seen Southampton's play-off hopes fade after suffering three defeats in their last four matches and the under-pressure Scot is demanding six points from home games against Cardiff tonight and Colchester on Saturday.

'There are nine games left, two home games now and they are two games in which we have to pick up maximum points to finish in the top six,' says Burley.

'The defeat at Stoke was a massive blow. We simply did not do enough.

'But we know we can do better and we've got to roll our sleeves up and do that tonight. We've got to take the game to Cardiff City.

'We've got to be positive and go at them. We are a good side but we need an end product and that wasn't there at Stoke City.

'We've still got it in our own hands and it's still all to play for.

'But we've got to knuckle down and put some wins together.'

Southampton today admitted their three injured players, Kenwyne Jones, Djamel Belmadi and Jermaine Wright, will all miss the clash with Cardiff City.

Rudi Skacel is likely to be called up on the left with Danny Guthrie, on loan from Liverpool, switched to central midfield.

Pele, who went on for Wright after four minutes at Stoke, will be among the substitutes.

Jones is out with an ankle injury, Belmadi suffered a calf injury in the warm-up at Stoke and Wright damaged a thigh in the opening four minutes.